


Here Be Dragons: Troika sidestory

by andamiro (arysthaeniru)



Series: Here Be Dragons [2]
Category: Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 14:45:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysthaeniru/pseuds/andamiro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The duties of a lord are ever tough, especially with the threat of war, looming on the horizon. Luckily, there are three of them. Set immediately after the end of Here Be Dragons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here Be Dragons: Troika sidestory

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks sooooo much to [](http://petitefee24.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://petitefee24.livejournal.com/)**petitefee24** who kicked my arse into finishing this and writing porn for it as well :/ This is the first in what should be a three-parter of sidestories. Hopefully. If all goes well and my muses decide to cooperate.

Yukimura looked up from where he was adjusting his tabard. The horns were sounding…which meant that a Lord was returning. He beamed widely. Renji was finally here. He quickly checked himself in the mirror to check that all of his armour and his cape were on correctly. As the ruling lord of Rikkai, he had a multitude of servants just lining up to help him….but Yukimura wanted nobody to see him in a vulnerable state. He was the ruling Lord of the largest and most harsh country in the area. Not just any servant could see him like that.

Besides…ruling lords were supposed to be honourable, and Yukimura was anything but that, armed as he was by poison, knives and hatpins, along with his sword. He hadn’t gotten his position by being honourable. He was ruthless. He was Rikkai personified.

He strode out of his door, smiling only faintly at the guards. His people loved him, of course, but they knew without a doubt that to cross him was death. He cultivated that love with his smile and his gentle demeanour and voice and encouraged the fear when he stepped onto the battlefield.

“Lord Yukimura—“ said a familiar voice.

“I’m aware that Lord Yanagi has arrived. It would have been hard to miss it. Tell him to meet me in the tower garden. And inform Lord Sanada if he doesn’t know already.” he commanded haughtily to the steward before he swept away, tossing his black cape embroidered with gold behind him.

Yukimura climbed the stairs with his usual grace and looked out over the tower gardens. From this vantage point, he could see all of Rikkai, especially when it was a clear day like today. The rain from yesterday had brought with it a clear sky. It was a beautiful day, but Yukimura was worried. From the east came a threat. And the west still smoked. He hoped that Bunta had actually combated the dragons. That would ease one of his worries, but not the other.

“Seiichi.” said a deep, gravelly voice from behind him. Sanada looked windswept, with the helmet just off and his hair everywhere.

“Genichirou.” he said, curtly. “You heard then?”

“Heard what?” All I received were your summons from Kiyuya.” said Sanada as he joined Yukimura’s side in looking out over the lands.

“Renji’s home.” said Yukimura, smiling slightly, as he gripped Sanada’s hand. “I didn’t take you from anything, did I?”

Sanada nodded. “Marui was reporting back from his missions. There were four dragons. Two are dead and two were scared off by Atobe’s Tamer.” he said, “Even, as per usual. But Atobe’s Dragon Tamer’s injured. In return for his services, I offered the care of our infirmary.” he said, as he pulled their linked hands up onto the battlement ledge and squeezed slightly.

Yukimura nodded. “That was a good decision, Genichirou. But why were you there in the first place?”

Sanada rolled his eyes and growled. “Marui wouldn’t leave the infirmary. So I had to go to him to get him to explain about the situation.” He sounded irritated, but Yukimura knew that he was a little worried for Marui. Everybody was, especially since Jackal’s death and how Marui had reverted back to the arrogant boy.

Yukimura was about to reply, when a rustle of feet had him turning around. Renji wore his travelling clothes and his hair was equally windswept, just like Sanada’s. “Renji.” said Yukimura warmly, stepping forward to embrace him. “My suspicions…” he asked, trailing off.

“Were correct.” said Renji, as he hugged Sanada.

Sanada frowned. “Seiichi…” he said, looking straight at Yukimura. “What suspicions?”

Yukimura sighed and strode back out to the battlements. “In Atobe’s letter to you, Sanada…. he mentioned trouble from the east.”

Sanada scoffed. “It’s Atobe. He likes to make himself sound better by looking like he knows more than everybody.”

Yukimura nodded. “Usually, I would have ignored it too. But Seigaku’s been too quiet. Tezuka’s dragon fighters are the most rowdy lot I’ve seen, yet there hasn’t been a peep from them for over three months? It’s been making me uneasy…and I didn’t think the comment from Atobe was a coincidence, especially considering the messenger of the letter.”

“The messenger?” asked Yanagi, this time. “You didn’t mention this last time, Seiichi.”

“I didn’t occur to me until now.” said Yukimura, laughing dryly as he turned around to look at his friends and vassals again. “Bunta’s become infatuated with the messenger, a dragon tamer, called Akutagawa Jirou. Atobe knew that this would happen. It’s his way of talking about allies.”

Yanagi frowned. “This is disturbing. Will Marui change sides like Yuuta did?”

“Only time will tell Renji,”said Yukimura, as he noticed a plant wilting and pinched its stem a little. “Now report, Renji.”

“Seigaku are planning an attack. They’ve made additional alliance with other groups outside of the tourney alliances, but…they’ve done so in a concentrated amount of time.” said Renji, as he took a seat on a plant ledge. “They’ve already made alliances with Fudomine, Rokkaku, Ginka, Gyokurin, Midoriyama—“

“What does it matter? They’re all tiny kingdoms. They’d not hurt us in an attack.” said Sanada, looking relieved.

“Shitenhouji.” finished Yanagi, as he crossed his arms.

Yukimura winced. How exactly had Tezuka managed that? Even he hadn’t been able to persuade Osamu to ally with Rikkai. Tezuka....was getting stronger. “Shitenhouji will be a significant threat alone. Their combined force along with Seigaku, the largest group of dragon hunters....It’s an attack to be wary of.”

Yanagi nodded. “That’s not the only thing.” he said, looking grim. “There are rumours of dragon alliances. Instead of just tolerating dragons, they want to use them to fight. Help them fight. Rokkaku’s idea.”

Sanada looked content. “They’ll backstab each other and take care of each other. We don’t need to worry.”

“That’s a certainty, Genichirou, but when will they self-destruct? Before or after they take over the realms?” challenged Yukimura, as he turned back around again.

Sanada looked surly. “Where did you get this information from anyway, Renji?”

Yanagi looked content. “Sadaharu and I had an exchange of words and he was rather more oblique than he was hoping to be in his cryptic clues.”

“But Inui is--

“Just as clever as me, is what you were about to say?” asked Yanagi, eyes widening a little. “Yes. He is. So I didn’t rely upon his words alone. Seeing Sadaharu was just a cover for my segue in Seigaku, in any case. I trawled the street for rumours and paid off many reputed spies to confirm this information.” He adjusted his sleeves and smirked. “And to check it, I grabbed an apprentice, got him quite drunk for free and he spilled all of his Lord’s secrets without a qualm. He won’t even remember it in the morning.”

“You slept with him, then?” asked Sanada, crossing his arms over his chest. “You aren’t a common whore, Renji. There was no need.”

Yukimura scoffed slightly. They weren’t common whores...they were expensive ones. They’d done their fair share of sleeping around to gain their current alliances. Sanada and Hyotei, himself and Higa...Yanagi and Jyosei. Nagoya just wanted blood and hadn’t cared too much about...persuasion.

“It was rather more of a personal matter for Renji, I believe, Genichirou.” said Yukimura, as he flicked out his knives and started to play with them casually. “By the smirk on your face, you slept with Inui’s apprentice, correct?”

Yanagi’s face gave nothing away...but the silence did. Sanada just shook his head. “There are other ways to gain your revenge than that, Renji.”

Yukimura shrugged. “I don’t agree Genichirou. A romantic betrayal in one way, deserves another. And eye for an eye.” At Sanada’s skeptical look, Yukimura looked him down haughtily. “Oh don’t tell me that you’re starting to think kindly, like dear Lord Tachibana, to turn the other cheek? Please. One bad turn deserves another.”

Sanada snorted. “As if I’d ever do that.” he said, sounding utterly offended. “I just feel that Renji hardly needed to sleep with Kaidoh to get on Inui’s bad side. The opposite of love is apathy, after all.”

Yukimura shrugged. Their arguments could continue again later tonight in their chambers. He had more pressing matters than Yanagi’s affairs to think about now. “Then we must act accordingly in reaction to Seigaku’s threat.” he said, straightening upwards, as he tilted his head upwards. He was the shortest of the three, yet in that moment, he towered above them. “We must gather our allies.”

Sanada’s hand went to his sword almost automatically, and Yanagi’s hands disappeared underneath his sleeves. Any hint of humour or life beyond determination was wiped from the three of them.

“Sanada, you will go to Hyotei. Take Marui and Akutagawa with you. Offer the information that Yanagi has collected to Atobe and ask him whose side he will choose. Persuade him that Rikkai is the better side. _By any means_.” said Yukimura, voice cold. He knew that Sanada disliked Atobe, but the opposite didn’t apply. This wouldn’t be the first time that Yukimura would exploit this...nor would it be the last. Politics were hard on the body.

Sanada didn’t look pleased. He grimaced, but said nothing, as his hand went away from his sword. Yukimura pledged to make it up to Sanada, but said nothing in his expression. He needed no weakness in his visage today.

“Along the way, inform Yuuta and Kirihara that they have the duty of making sure that Mizuki’s troops are with us.” said Yukimura, flippantly. At Sanada’s raised eyebrows, Yukimura chuckled slightly. Mizuki’s team were all stolen from other kingdoms, but they were still a strong force upon their little island. “Mizuki’s strategy is impeccable when combined with Yanagi’s. And I want the other Kisarazu twin on our team. It may stop Rokkaku from attacking or persuade them to leave Seigaku should we hold him hostage.” Mizuki was temperamental, but he liked Yuuta and Kirihara was going along as protection from Mizuki wheedling.

Sanada looked satisfied and nodded, lowering his eyes as he accepted his orders.

“Yanagi, you must ride out to Yagyuu and Niou. Tell them to inform Yamabuki and Higa of the upcoming fight. Higa will join willingly if asked politely....Yamabuki will need persuasion of the violent sort, especially with whom they have as their ruling Lord. Sengoku cheated his way out of the position and passed it to Minami. They also have close ties with Rokkaku and Seigaku, that may need breaking. Yagyuu and Niou’ll know what to do.” said Yukimura, a cruel smirk on his face. Niou was always best at flattery and Yagyuu was much better at sheer brute strength. They were a good team.

Yanagi nodded and lowered his eyes. He looked pleased by his task, but Yukimura hadn’t finished yet. “Once you have done that, you must return to the capital and rule in my stead.”

Sanada and Yanagi both started at this, looking up from their impassive faces. “Seiichi...” said Sanada, looking outraged.

“I will be heading to Jyosei and Nagoya.” said Yukimura firmly, cutting over Sanada’s protests. “It is high time that the Hanamura woman learnt that Rikkai will not tolerate her experiments nor her hoarding of talented dragon hunters. And Nagoya will require a firm hand to have them truly cooperate. Their violence is against their allies, which is at this point, unacceptable.”

Sanada growled. “Seiichi, there must always be a Lord in Rikkai!”

“There _will_ be a Lord in Rikkai.” said Yukimura, looking straight at Yanagi. “Just not the one they’re thinking of.”

“I can’t lead a country, Seiichi.” said Yanagi, his eyes open wide and flashing. “Not for more than a few days. Nagoya is far from here.”

“Besides, it’s against the laws of the land.” said Sanada, his mouth firmly downwards.

“Since when have I ever been a stickler for tradition or rules, Sanada? I will not let a law stop my reign on Rikkai from being the most successful in the country’s history, understood?” Yukimura snapped, as he whirled around furiously.

Yukimura had only been 50th in line to the throne at 10. By 25, he’d become the first in line. He certainly hadn’t done so by sticking to rules or tradition, that stated that killing family members was taboo. By poison or dagger or by accident, he’d gotten rid of 50 people. That had not come by following the laws of the land.

Sanada and Yanagi both still looked skeptical, but slowly, their faces smoothed out to their impassive mask. Yukimura turned on the haughty ruler charisma and turned back around to see the whole view of Rikkai once more. “When our allies are gathered, we will come back to Rikkai and plan a marching order and a battle strategy.” said Yukimura as he turned around. “Questions?”

“Should Seigaku attack while we are scattered...” said Sanada, hesitantly, his eyes uncertain.

“That will not happen, Genichirou. Their own forces are too scattered for now. Only the dragon fighters of Seigaku remain in Seigaku.” said Yanagi quietly. “And while the Echizen bratling from the west is strong, we have little to fear from the others except Tezuka, who is severely wounded.”

Sanada nodded and Yanagi looked content. They were silent for a minute, pensive in thought, until no other queries emerged. Yukimura dropped his lord visage. “Genichirou...Renji...” he said, smiling softly, as he placed a hand to both of their cheeks. “Thank you for being here.”

“I’d follow you to the ends of the Earth, Seiichi.” said Sanada, his eyes honest and soft as he dropped to his knees, though his facial expression was as stern as ever.

“Ask of me what you will, Seiichi, and I will serve; for you saved me from myself.” said Yanagi, opening his eyes and looking at Yukimura truly, from where he too was kneeling.

Yukimura laughed lightly. There was _one_ more reason that he disliked having a servant as well. He pressed cool kisses to both of their foreheads. “My chambers, tonight. We will ride out tomorrow, so come early, so that we may rest well afterwards.”

He turned to look back once more upon the peaceful Rikkai. How long that would last, was anyone’s guess.

(x) 

Yukimura fiddled with his shirt as he lay back into his large bed. He’d finally finished lighting the night candles and tending to the garden. The day had been filled with reassuring the old men on the Council that Rikkai would be able to handle any threat that came their way and that he himself would be strong enough to ride out and deal with Hanamura and the Nagoya Lords. It had been a year since the illness that had almost completely killed him.

He’d thought back then, that the illness had been divine retribution for his sins. The people he’d killed, the people he’d had others kill and all the evil that he’d caused. Yukimura, in those last few days of illness, had acted accordingly as a man on his death-bed would have and instead of choosing only one of his oldest childhood friends to love to his death, he’d chosen both.

And then he hadn’t died. As if by a miracle, he’d passed into a coma for two days, and when he’d woken, there had been nothing wrong with him anymore and he had been given the power to strip the senses of others. The whole country had been astounded and he’d been named the Child of God for his miraculous recovery.

Except his decision with his friends no longer made sense. He’d thought that he’d have to choose. _Thought_ was the key word here.

Somebody knocked on the door and Yukimura lazily called them in. As expected, Yanagi was here first. “Renji.” he purred, his voice sultry as he ran a hand up his bare legs. “Aren’t you a little too dressed?” he asked, upon seeing the three layers of clothing that Yanagi was wearing.

“I had not the luxury of a room close by.” said Yanagi, peacefully, as he shut the door behind him with a soft click. “I had to walk through the entire castle to get here.”

“Less talking,” said Yukimura as he leant forward and captured Yanagi’s lips in a hot passionate kiss against the wall. “More kissing.” He explored Yanagi’s mouth with his tongue, swallowing Yanagi’s moans as he tangled his arms around his shoulders with difficulty. The problem when Yanagi was standing and clothed, was that Yukimura couldn’t quite reach high enough. The problems of being short. It had helped him be underestimated and helped him kill people...but it did rather dampen his sex life.

He growled and pushed Yanagi onto the bed, straddling him so he could reach Yanagi properly. He started stripping off the yellow cloak and the jet-black silk tabard as Yanagi’s hands slipped under his shirt and started to trace slow circles up his spine. Yukimura mewled slightly as Yanagi hit a sensitive spot and started to pull at Yanagi’s shirt in frustration. He hated buttons.

Finally, it came off, after a struggle that he was pretty sure had ripped the shirt, Yukimura could feel Yanagi’s skin under his. He was warm and his skin was smooth as ever, the texture sending pleasant sensations to his nether regions. Yukimura smirked and started to nibble and lick at Yanagi’s collarbone, relishing in his reaction as he writhed under Yukimura’s ministrations. Yukimura could feel every fine reaction of Yanagi’s movement through his entire body, by virtue of the tight grip he had around Yanagi with his knees.

He was about to pull off Yanagi’s trousers when there was a loud knock. Yukimura grinned mischievously. He pulled Yanagi up with him and mouthed ‘surprise him’. “Come in,” he called languidly, as if he was still waiting.

Sanada stomped in, drenched through and dripping with water. Yukimura scowled and didn’t pounce like he’d been hoping to. “Genichirou, what happened?” he asked, as he frowned slightly at the dripping wet silk that was staining his rugs.

“It started raining the moment I leave the stables. Raining. Again.” he said, his eyes blazing angrily and stopping slightly upon seeing both Yanagi and Yukimura’s disheveled states. He flushed slightly. He’d always been the most hesitant about their arrangement.

“Well, how about we put that water to good use, hmm?” asked Yanagi, eyes serene and warm, as he slowly started peeling off the layers of Sanada’s wet clothing and throwing them aside. Yukimura went to Sanada and kissed him slowly and softly, moving as and where needed so Yanagi could efficiently strip him.

He trailed his fingers along Sanada’s bare skin. It was damp and slippery and so very alluring. Yukimura leant down a little and trailed circles with his tongue over Sanada’s nipple, flicking here and there, waiting for the inevitable moan and hungry kiss from Sanada.

Sanada pressed him down against the bed and Yukimura hungrily kissed him back, twisting his legs around Sanada’s own. Their skin rubbing against each other, and the water cooling against his skin, sent tingling sensations around his body, pooling at the areas of contact between them. He had goosebumps everywhere and he could feel his nipples harden under his shirt.

He pulled back for breath and and grinned as Sanada’s eyes widened momentarily. Yanagi had just licked the back of Sanada’s neck and was tracing circles there with his tongue. Yukimura smiled contentedly and started his own ministrations upon Sanada’s chest, with small kisses. “No marks, Renji.” he said, as he had to physically stop himself from biting the patch of skin above Sanada’s clavicle. Atobe would notice.

“Ah.” said Yanagi easily, before continuing down Sanada’s back as Sanada gasped and whimpered.

This was for Sanada anyway, as an encouragement to do his duty with Atobe and something to remember for all three of them over the coming days. There would be little chance to indulge in anything beyond stolen kisses in the war ahead. Their focus would have to remain upon their people and not upon themselves.

Yukimura slipped further down underneath Sanada, until his fingers were caressing Sanada’s erection. Sanada moaned and Yukimura smirked as he placed his mouth around it. Sanada’s face was quite amusing. Usually, it was the other way round, with Yukimura letting Sanada have the pleasure of making Yukimura come.

“Hold still, Genichirou.” said Yanagi from behind Sanada. Sanada gasped and shuddered, thrusting into Yukimura’s mouth. Yanagi looked coolly detached, with a small bottle of rose oil in his only visible hand. Yukimura almost laughed around Sanada’s length, which only made Sanada groan more.

Seeing the formidable emperor, fear and scourge of all miscreants of Rikkai, reduced to panting and whimpering under Yukimura’s hands and teeth and tongue never failed to make him amused. Yukimura looked up at Sanada and pulled away, licking his lips seductively. “Aren’t you mine Genichirou?” he asked, his voice a small purr.

“Y-yours.” he agreed, looking like he was unable to say much more. “S-s-seiichi, _please_.” he begged, as he gasped. Yukimura looked up. Yanagi indicated 3 fingers and Yukimura winced momentarily. Yanagi was cruel sometimes.

“Magic words?” asked Yukimura, haughtily.

“I’m your willing slave, Seiichi, please!” he moaned and Yukimura relented by enveloping Sanada’s length and pumping furiously.

With a grunt, Sanada came and Yukimura made sure to swallow and lick his lips, while looking Sanada straight in the eyes. A promise made in that moment. _Stay alive long enough to return the favour._

Yanagi keened as he came and Yukimura smiled, to see both of his lovers content. The morning would come and with it, would bring the war and the pain and the fear. But for now...there was just the three of them.

“Why don’t you two help me, hmmm?” asked Yukimura languidly, as he pushed backwards onto the bed and smirked with all the grace of royalty. He _would_ win this. Seigaku, Shitenhouji and their alliance be damned. He was Rikkai, and Rikkai did not lose.  


  
-Owari  



End file.
